Gay hill
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Old Gay Hill boasted of fine Baptist, Cumberland and Old School Presbyterian churches, and Rev. Miller was pastor of the latter.
Gay Hill had a respectable population of 250 persons in 1936 with ten businesses. All that is left is the old colonial home of Dr. Miller and a recently erected Presbyterian church. - The History of Brenham and Washington County, 1915 by Mrs.
R. E. Pennington
Location
30° 16' 18.768" N, 96° 29' 38.904" W
See map: Google Maps, Yahoo! The geographical location exists among several similarly named places in Texas.
The area’s Chriesman Settlement history began with Horatio Chriesman, an early settler and militia leader who worked with Austin’s Colony.
Though Chriesman helped shape Texas independence and served on the Republic’s capital selection committee, he didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence.
The settlement was renamed Gay Hill in 1840 after local store owners Thomas Gay and William Carroll Jackson Hill.
The Legacy of Glenblythe Plantation
While many Texas plantations faded into obscurity, Glenblythe Plantation left an indelible mark on agricultural innovation through its owner Thomas Affleck.
You’ll find his legacy in the Southern Rural Almanac, where he shared groundbreaking farming methods that transformed cotton and sugar cultivation.
The last store in Gay Hill closed in 1971. You could see the transformation as cotton gins expanded, mills flourished, and retail businesses grew, all benefiting from improved market access.
The railway connected Gay Hill to major Texas cities, making it easier for you to ship agricultural products and receive supplies.
Affleck’s innovations at the 3,500-acre estate included establishing Central Nurseries and discovering the Old Gay Hill Red China rose. The estate produced mustang grape wine from local vines. Once known as Chriesman Settlement - the name was changed when the Republic of Texas established a post office in the town sometime before 1840. Located in Washington County, the plantation became a cornerstone of the region’s agricultural development.
Though built on slave labor with 120 enslaved workers, the plantation’s influence extended beyond agriculture to include a wagon factory and Confederate military connections during the Civil War.
- Sprawling fields of cotton stretched across rolling hills
- Wagon wheels turned in the bustling factory
- Confederate soldiers trained on the manicured grounds
- Enslaved workers toiled in the experimental nurseries
- Rose gardens bloomed with newly discovered varieties
Railway Impact and Community Transformation
The economic shifts were dramatic.
You’ll find Gay Hill’s historic remains in Washington County, Texas, where this community flourished from the 1820s through the late 1800s. Initially settled during Stephen F. Austin’s colonization, the town grew around Glenblythe Plantation and the Live Oak Female Seminary.
It was a place of matchless natural beauty, situated upon an eminence dotted with live oak trees ; its people were elegant, refined and humane as any who ever lived. The arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1881 brought brief prosperity, but the rail path’s distance from town eventually led to decline.
By1958 there were only 200 people and in the 1990s it was an estimated 145.
Today, only a cemetery, churches, and scattered ranch lands hint at Gay Hill’s rich pioneer past.
Key Takeaways
- Gay Hill transformed from a thriving 280-resident community in 1860 to a near ghost town following economic decline post-World War II.
- The town’s decline accelerated when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway path was built two miles from the town center.
- Once-bustling cotton gins, flour mills, and retail businesses disappeared as the cotton industry faded and residents relocated elsewhere.
- By 1993, the population had dwindled to just 145 residents, with most original structures gone except churches and a cemetery.
- The former plantation town converted primarily to ranch land, marking its transition from agricultural hub to sparsely populated rural area.
Origins and Founding of a Texas Pioneer Settlement
As Texas pioneers pushed into new territories in the early 1820s, a settlement emerged that would later become Gay Hill.
Through dedicated community support, these educational institutions helped preserve and pass down local history to new generations.
Local leadership and faith shaped Gay Hill’s educational foundations through elected trustees and the Presbyterian church’s guiding influence.
- Wooden one-room schoolhouses dotting the rural landscape
- White-columned Live Oak Female Seminary standing proudly against the Texas sky
- Two separate schoolhouses – one bustling with 60 White students, another serving 13 Black students
- Presbyterian church bells calling children to Sunday school lessons
- Historic school building making its final journey to Old Baylor Park
From Cotton Boom to Modern-Day Ranch Land
Beyond its educational legacy, Gay Hill’s economic story unfolded through distinct phases of growth and change.
Similar to how Lubbock’s prosperity flourished through its cotton production and agricultural development, you’ll find Gay Hill’s peak prosperity in 1860 with flour and lumber mills serving 280 residents, later enhanced by a cotton gin after the Civil War.
The arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1881 transformed Gay Hill into a thriving cotton hub, attracting German settlers who shaped the local culture.
But you’d see economic decline take hold after World War II, as the cotton industry faded and residents moved to larger towns.
While the 1928 Sun Oilfield offered brief diversification, ranching eventually became the dominant activity.
Today, cultural preservation efforts persist through remaining churches and a cemetery, though the town’s commercial pulse has faded, with the population settling at 145 by 1993.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Remaining Descendants of Thomas Affleck Living in Gay Hill?
You won’t find any Affleck family members living in Gay Hill today.
Rev. James Weston Miller established, in 1850, there an excellent school for girls, entitled the Live Oak Female Seminary. Maps, MapQuest
History in a Pecan ShellGay Hill is a historic town with strong business and cultural ties to Independence, Texas.A one-room school from Gay Hill has been moved to Old Baylor Park in Independence. Glenblythe Plantation - owned by Horticulturist Thomas Affleck was near Gay Hill and a historic marker on Thomas Affleck is found on FM 390. In 1860 Gay Hill had a population of about 300. While this rail connection initially brought prosperity, it ultimately couldn’t prevent the town’s decline as transportation evolved and larger towns with better facilities drew away residents and commerce. Educational Institutions Through the AgesFrom its earliest days in the 1870s, Gay Hill’s educational landscape evolved through distinct phases of development in both Milam and Washington counties. You’ll find educational evolution spanning from one-room schoolhouses to the Live Oak Female Seminary, which served as a pioneering women’s college from 1853 to 1888. Community governance emerged in 1896 with the first elected school trustees, while religious institutions like the Presbyterian church played essential roles in shaping local education. |
| The older portion of Gay Hill TE Photo, 3-02 |
| An old sign in Gay Hill TE Photo, 3-02 More Texas Signs |
| Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us. |
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Ranching replaced cotton production and Brenham siphoned off Gay Hill population.The railroad’s path two miles away from the town center contributed to its eventual decline.